Pay-raise insult amid sea of red ink

With state government teetering on the brink of insolvency, Democratic Assemblywoman Karen Bass promoted 20 Democratic caucus staffers the day she stepped down as Assembly Speaker, and incredibly gave each 10 percent salary raises.

The raises took effect Feb. 26 when Ms. Bass left her leadership post, the Sacramento Bee reported. Caucus staffers’ promotions included two employees earning more than $75,000 per year, the newspaper reported. Seventeen of the 20 aides had annual salaries below $50,000.

What’s wrong with this picture? The government has a $20-billion budget deficit. California unemployment rose to 12.5 percent last week. Many state workers face pay cuts through unpaid, mandatory furloughs.

Nevertheless, Ms. Bass increased aides’ pay up to $729 per month in the case of Pamela Haynes, whose title changed from senior assistant to principal assistant. Her pay increased from $87,456 a year to $96,204, the Bee reported.

Incredibly, Ms. Bass not only showed no shame, but boasted: "We definitely succeeded in tightening our belt.” She claimed pay raises are offset by eliminating “other positions that more than covered the cost of those modest increases.”

Ms. Bass doesn’t get it. When justifying more spending in one area by cutting back in another, government merely treads water. The state budget is sinking in red ink. Only reducing spending is appropriate.

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, said the promotions amount to a "gigantic exception" to the rule of holding the line on Assembly staff salaries. Nearly a year ago Ms. Bass ordered staff salaries frozen “unless a promotional opportunity exists to fill a critical vacancy.” The Senate continues to honor a pay freeze imposed in July.

Is it any wonder state government operates in the red, and only 16 percent of voters approve of legislators’ performance?

The tendency among those in government is to reward themselves at taxpayers’ expense. This wasn’t Ms. Bass’ first time. Last year she increased pay for 120 members of both parties’ leadership caucuses, but rescinded them after news reports.